Ituah and Asue Ighodalo A Little-Known Secret

Last Sunday, these very accomplished brothers strolled in very quietly into the Agip Recital Hall of the Muson Centre, took front-row seats with the people and watched very closely the play ‘Fajuyi.’

While the huge crowd which included the Ekiti State Governor, His Excellency Biodun Oyebanji, two former Governors, Niyi Adebayo and Kayode Fayemi, and the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, watched the play with varying emotions, for these two brothers, it was a whole lot different for them.

What most Nigerians do not know is the fact that their mother was a very influential and powerful woman in the then-South-west. She was very instrumental in the enthronement of an Ooni of Ife and in fact, through her, can trace some form of filial relationship with the present Ooni of Ife who calls Pastor Ituah uncle.

Well, she was a principal secretary to Col. Adekunle Fajuyi who was then the Military Governor of the South-west states. She was so effective and influential as we have heard that Fajuyi relied on her counsel for some of his major decisions. It was as a result of her pole position that her work hours used to be very long and tedious.

So, to ensure a veritable work-life balance, she took her little boys – Asue and Ituah – to the office at times. They would sit nearby as she worked, playing with whatever were the toys of the day. The Ighodalo brothers had a personal relationship with the late Fajuyi even at that age through their mother, hence the emotionally laden look on their faces as they watched the tragic story of this hero.

As the play went on, I kept looking at them. Ituah looked more touched as his face went from anger, to pity, to sadness but mostly in a frown. Asue na hard man, not too many emotions from him but a pensive look like say he want fight. They both sat mostly with hands folded on their chest as the story must have transported them back to those days in Ibadan, bringing back lovely memories of their mother and those beautiful days in Ibadan.

Today, thanks to the early training they got from their parents and the exposure to the astute leadership their mother’s brilliant career must have exposed them to, they both have built very brilliant careers in law, accounting and leadership and it is looking like one of them will soon step out to be counted in leadership. I cannot wait.